Kurai approaches, “I will stay and watch her lair for a while… Make sure she doesn’t return.”

“No Kurai… You’re coming with us,” Blue sternly spoke.

“I am of no use to you… At least this way, I can help to watch all of your backs,” she explained.

Syn and Sylva approach, “The Dragon needs to be slayed… There’s no two ways about it… But Sylva and I will track it down, and go from there,” spoke Syn.

“You can come with us,” spoke Sylva to Kurai…

Kurai lit up, then looked over to Blue who nodded in agreement.

“Now get your gear girl! We leave within half an hour,” spoke Syn, and so Kurai did.

Syn crouched down by Blue and Rune,”The two of you have showed me that there’s something more to life than being a Warrior for Hire… And for this I thank you… We will take our shares, and Kurai, and go to the nearest city… From there, we will hunt the Dragon…” she explained, then started to walk away when…

…”I will join you as well,” spoke Torme who suddenly appeared.

Blue looked saddened, and rose to hug him, “Are you sure?” she questioned as she held him tightly.

“Yes… And we’re not taking you,” he spoke towards Madrean who grimaced.

“We’ll be in touch when we find her… Take care of one another,” spoke Torme, then with Sylva and Syn he went to prepare his gear.

“I must admit, I feel a bit better now,” spoke Rune.

Sabre approaches Rune, “I feel your pain brother… I employ you to journey back to the Temple of my Order of Green Light… I feel you may find that you belong with us… And if not, you can go your way,”.

Rune smiled a bit, then looked at Blue who nodded,”I accept brother,” and so Rune stood and arm embraced Sabre.

Sabre and Rune went to prepare their gear as well.

As Blue was Leader, the Party awarded her a Ring of Spell Turning, without debate.

Torme was awarded a Magical Long Sword which grew even stronger versus creatures with the ability to regenerate…

…thus returning Blue’s father’s sword to her.

Aden was awarded a Protection vs Petrification Scroll, and Kurai was awarded the Philter of Persuasiveness.

The other 5 Party members all received a different type of Potion.

Each of them also received somewhere over 1,100 Gold, the Paladins and Cleric would see that part of it was given to their Orders… Save Rune, who was considering saving it towards the construction of a Keep, where he would bring future Paladins to train.

Blue was given 7 of the 15 precious gems, each of the others received 1.

The Party wanted it that way.

“Where now?” questioned Aden, as the two Paladins, and Dragon Hunting Party left.

This left Aden, Blue and Madrean.

Madrean grumply bowed, then went on his own way.

“How quickly a family falls apart…” spoke Blue.

“Space does not separate a family… We shall see them again,” with this Aden looked at Madrean who made his way down the mountain,”Well… Most of them at least,”.

Priminus invited the ever growing group of Blue Party members to stay the night before they sorted out whatever it was they would sort out.

In the middle of the night Blue couldn’t sleep, and thus walked the halls a bit, ending up on the roof of the Tower, where the Hippogriff are kept, and sleep.

To her surprise, Rune was sitting atop the roof, legs over the edge, pensively looking out over the land.

Blue quietly approached, and sat next to him.

“You’re up late,” she spoke…

…he turned to face her, “As are you.”

“Yes… Well… All this traveling, and battling, but no real time to think,” she explained.

“Agreed…” he replied.

Blue noted something different about Rune, “What is it Rune?”.

“I’m going to go after Sabre and Madrean…” he stated.

Blue seemed taken aback, “But why? You heard what Aden said, Madrean is set, as Sabre is to protect him.”

“I know…” he spoke with a soft, yet convicted smile, “I’ll head towards Mount Ridge in the morning,” and with this he stood.

“Palidans,” suddenly came a voice from the shadows, surprising both Rune and Blue.

Into the light stepped Priminus and Kurai.

“If it’s one thing I know about Paladins, they long to protect… No matter the cost to themselves,” continued Priminus.

“I approached Priminus,” suddenly spoke Kurai… “He’s offered to loan us his Hippogriffs in order to catch up to Sabre and Madrean.

“Us?” questioned Rune.

Suddenly Torme stepped out of the shadows, “With the size of this group, we might actually have a shot at taking down Droah,” he added.

“We have better than a shot,” spoke Syn who also appeared… Beside her the silver armoured Warrior, Sylva.

“I’d like to join you, if that’s alright… No charge,” Sylva requested.

“As would I,” spoke Aden, the last to appear.

“You have a chance… But a little help wouldn’t hurt,” spoke Priminus.

Suddenly two of the Hammen Swordsmen appeared carrying a long box, maybe 5’ long, and 1” wide.

They sat it on the ground, and Priminus took a gold key from around his neck, kneeled before it, and unlocked it.

What was in it was astonishing to the eyes…

… A long red silver blade, with a Dragon Head handle on it.

“The Barom Draconen,” spoke Sylva, his eyes widened.

“I thought that but a Myth,” added Syn.

Priminus held it in the moonlight, where it flared, and flickered silver red light.

“My father used to speak of it in his stories,” Blue jumped in, “But I never suspected it was actually real…”

“It’s real alright… Even I remember that,” spoke Kurai.

“This is not a gift… It is a loan,” explained Priminus.

“But who will wield it?” and with this, they all looked at Rune who had remained utterly silent, though his eyes, like Sylva’s, were also wide.

“Not I… We’ll bring it to Sabre,” Rune quickly replied to their gazes.

“It must be you Rune,” added Priminus as he stepped towards him, the blade glowing and sparking, demanding all who stood there’s attention.

“It must be you Rune,” spoke Kurai under her breath.

Priminus held out the blade to Rune, and he licked his Dragonsborn lips, and took it into his large hand.

As he did, a surge of energy, and magic ran through him, like he’d never known, “By the Gods…”

One of the two Hammen Swordsmen brought over a solid silver sheath, and handed it to Rune.

Rune was quick to sheath it, and then attached it to his belt.

Rune then kneeled before Priminus, “I will not let you down Priminus,” he vowed.

Priminus touched his chin, indicating that he should raise to his feet, and so he did…

“To face Droah has already determined this to be true… To slay him is another matter all together… Get out of their alive Rune The Protector… I have more for you to do in this life of yours,” he concluded, then turned and left the rooftop.

Blue and Kurai quickly dismounted from the back of theirs, as did Rune and the hired Mercenary Warrior, Sylva.

Around were some six Gnome Hammen Swordsmen to escort them down the winding stairwell in the middle of the tower.

Each of the Three Mage Towers of Priminus had their own Regiment of some two dozen Hammen Swordsmen, though Hammen had no more than 250 Swordsmen across its’ great land in total.

These Mage Towers were only the start of what they hoped would begin a Campaign of Defense versus all that might try to conquer Hammen…

To the North was the Blackwell Forest, and the Dark Elf Drow, lead by the Malevolent Prince Eradyn and his diabolical sister, Mora…

Their People were said to be one of, if not the most powerful force of Tch’ahm Ba’er…

And to the East, the Glane Boro Sands, inhabited by the Dark Tribe, and lead by Prince Tahab, who also has a sister, though her name is unknown…

The Dark Tribe prefers not to mix Races, and so for the most part, stay within their Borders… But whose to say they won’t expand their reach to include The Hills of Hammen… And more specifically, Port Hammen.

The Party is brought to the magical quarters of Priminus, one of the 3 Mages of Hammen…

He sits in the middle of a white drawn circle in the middle of the room… Little blue glowing Rune Markings all around it.

His eyes are shut.

“Sit,” he says without opening them.

And so Blue, Sylva, and Rune do as requested…

…Kurai on the other hand, finds a dark corner and nearly disappears.

Priminus peeks one eye in Kurai’s direction, than closes it once more.

Soon Torme has arrived with their horses, and is brought to the quarters as well.

He sits.

“Ah… Now that you are all here… How may of be of service,” speaks Priminus, as his eyes open softly.

He is a Gnome, with dark, lavish red robes, and a white ivory staff appearing to stand all by itself some two feet from him.

“My name is Blue, we-” starts Blue.

“I know who you are,” he speaks semi annoyed, “My question was, how may I be of service?”

Blue looks over at Rune.

“Friends of ours were to come here to gather information about Droah… The Red Dragon of Mount Ridge (See Map Above)…” explained Rune.

Priminus smiled, “Of course,” and summoned one of the guards to retrieve her some, which he did.

She tried it, and her body felt a cool vibration, “My…” she replied.

Priminus smiled again, “Good… Right?”

Blue felt first dizzy, then exhilarated, “Oh yes…”

Kurai on the other hand, who did not eat, and wouldn’t have partaken anyway, sat in her chair, arms crossed, glaring heatedly at Aden…

…when she noticed Syn, who wasn’t eating, but instead had her boots up on the table, as her chair balanced back on two legs, stared at her with a gleam in her eye.

Not liking this at all, Kurai quickly picked up a glorious orangeish yellowish fruit, and tossed it at her…

Syn in response stuck her dagger through it, right out of the air, and pinned it to the Mage’s table.

Blue looked at Syn, then at Priminus who seemed amused.

“So tell us Aden… What changed your mind?” spoke Rune, as he finished his first piece of meat, and gestured for more.

“It was a fools errand… I fear Madrean borders on mad… I still believe him to be good in his core… But his judgment… Especially after our counsel with Priminus… I needed no more to convince me,” he explained.

“And you Syn?” asked Torme.

“I was only hear to protect the Archer for this lady,” with this she pointed her now clean dagger at Blue.

This seemed to embarrass Blue a bit.

“Priminus requested that we stay another week… And not wanting to be rude after all of his kindness, Syn and I agreed…” he looks at the Party, “And now I see why,” he says with a smile directed at Priminus who has finished up his porridge, and is drinking some morning wine.

The remaining outside Goblins scattered, and their Leader being held prisoner with the remaining Gnome Monks of Hammen, Rune, Blue, Torme and the Shade girl made their way towards Priminus, which was only two days away now.

What had started as a pursuit to reconnect with the Elven Archer Aden (See Chapter VI), had become something else.

“So let me get this straight… I’m now wearing around my neck, a mysterious Green and Black Stone Necklace, which the Goblins had come for… And The Hammen Gnomes were protecting… And yet we know nothing about…” spoke Rune to Blue who road next to him, Torme road Lead, while the Shade girl road in back.

“And this girl, who is a Shade, is now your responsibility? Who, once again, we know nothing about…” he finished.

“Yes…” replied Blue.

“Alright,” he replied throwing his arms up in the air, and riding up to join Torme.

Meanwhile Blue slowed a bit until she road side by side with the girl.

“Hello,” Blue spoke, but the girl did not reply.

“What is your name?” Blue asked.

Silence.

“It’s alright,” Blue continued.

The girl looked directly at her now, her eyes completely black, no pupils, an immense vibe of sadness upon her, “Kurai.”

“Kurai… That’s a lovely name,” spoke Blue, but the girl once again did not reply.